SCS Mission
Dear Parents and Friends of SCS,
Welcome back from what I hope was a restful and restorative spring break with your families. I am so thankful God blesses us with margin and rest in our lives. It certainly is a gift, but it also prepares us for the work He has for us each day.
As we get back into the swing of work, including the work of our students, I’d like to share a few notes over the next few weeks about our new K-12 mission, vision, and core value statements. These three very important pieces were developed over the last six months by teachers, administration, and board members. As a K-12 school, these pieces are extremely important to get right, as every decision we make and every action we take should align with these foundational commitments. Our mission statement describes the “why.” It clarifies our priorities as a school and sharpens the focus of our fundamental purpose. Our vision statement describes the “what.” It provides direction for creating a compelling future. Our core values describe the “how.” These statements guide our behavior while fulfilling our collective commitments.
This week, I’d like to focus on our mission statement: In partnership with the Christian community, Sheboygan Christian School uses a biblical perspective to integrate academic excellence with Christ-centered learning, preparing students’ hearts and minds for service in God’s world.
What does this statement really mean for our school? First, we are in partnership with all of you in the Christian community. That means that we want to involve you in the education of our students, and we want our students to be active in the larger community. This can take the form of prayer, participating in chapels, sharing your skills and talents with our students, supporting our students at athletic events, plays, art shows, and the like. It also means our students supporting all of you in the community through service, through prayer, and through sharing their gifts and talents with you. We want everyone to know and understand that we are in this together. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Second, our school uses a biblical perspective to integrate academic excellence with Christ-centered learning. This is what sets us apart from public schools. Any school could boast academic excellence. Ours is different in that the academic excellence is achieved through intentional Biblical instruction. Our school is also unique in that it doesn’t stop with Biblical teaching but extends into Christ-centered learning. Not only do our teachers teach literally everything through a biblical perspective, our students also apply new learning through a Christ-centered lens. This aspect of our school gives rise to students who stand out among others; the impact is eternal.
Last, our school prepares our students’ hearts and minds for service in God’s world. We believe that in order to work in and respond to God’s world, we also need to understand and have a heart for God. It’s not about us. It’s about using what God gives us to serve His kingdom. This approach to education yields students who are others focused.
How passionate are you in helping us fulfill the mission of our school? What’s your role? (Every one of us has one!) Please join us in living out this mission each day. Our students are depending on all of us.
In Christ’s Mission for Our Students,
Ann Steenwyk
Director of Academics and Instruction